For those who are interested in my classes

If you are interested in taking my classes at the Asian Culture Center, please read the post titled "For those who are interested in joining the class" first. There you can learn which textbook we are using in the class, where to get the textbook, what I expect you to know before joining the class. Thank you!

Click this link for the post.

For total beginners interested in the class

I usually start a total beginners class only in the Fall Semester (September to December) at the Asian Culture Center [ACC].

So, "Beginners" class offered at the ACC in the Spring semester (January to April) is actually a continued class from the previous semester, and we are studying Lesson 3 of GENKI I at the moment (as of January 2009).

Beginners II class currently offered at the ACC (as of January 2009) is a continued class from the beginners class which started in the Fall 2007, and we are studying Lesson 8 of GENKI I at this moment.

If you are a total beginner and wish to begin learning Japanese at the ACC, there are three options:
(1) Wait until the following Fall semester (September) and take my class for total beginners.

(2) Do some self-study and catch up with the current beginners class, and join the class when you feel ready or comfortable to be in the class.

(3) Keep checking the website of the Asian Culture Center for a new Japanese class for total beginners offered by another teacher. They told me that they had been looking for another teacher who can offer a class for total beginners.

For those who are interested in joining the class

The language classes at Asian Culture Center is free of charge and open to everyone. And as a general rule at ACC, you can join the class at any time you like throughout the semester.

I agree with ACC's principle, and newcomers are always welcome.
As you may understand, however, I really cannot go over the same things over and over again as we have already done in our previous lessons each time we have a newcomer. Otherwise we won't be able to make real progress in the course. (This does not mean that I won't give you (as a newcomer) any advice or supplementary instructions during the class when I find it necessary and find time to do so, once you decide to come to the class with your efforts to catch up with the class.)

So I would like you to come to the class prepared at least with the following:

1) Obtain the textbook (or photocopies of the textbook) --- details follow below

2) Check out all the previous posts in the category of the class level you are interested, and see what we have learned in the previous classes.

3) Study as much as you can all the sections of the textbook that we have already done in the previous classes before coming to the class.


The textbook we are using in the classes is GENKI: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese I & II, Eri Banno et al., The Japan Times.

1) In the Beginners Class, we are using Genki I (『初級日本語げんき I』）.


2) In the Intermediate class, we are using Genki II（『初級日本語げんき II』）



You can order them from Amazon.com, or you can buy them at IU Bookstores. This textbook is a standard textbook in IU's Japanese Language courses.

If you don't have time to get the book in time for our next class, you can take photocopies of the necessary section(s), using a master copy of the textbooks that are kept at Asian Culture Center (ACC). Go to ACC and ask an assistant to lend you the master copy.


*There is a useful website offered by the publisher of these textbooks.
→Genki Online
Visit the website and you will find useful online resources and self-study materials - and you can use the resources and materials in order to catch up with the class before coming to the class.